The Forbidden Wastes seemed alive, pulsing with an eerie energy that weighed down on Eryon and his companions. The whispers in the wind grew louder as they pressed on, twisting into distorted voices that called their names. The barren land stretched endlessly, the jagged remains of trees and blackened ground serving as grim reminders of the Void's destructive power.
Eryon gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. He couldn't tell whether it was the oppressive atmosphere or the strange energy building inside him, but his chest felt heavier with every step. Beside him, Tia walked silently, her Shard of Earth glowing faintly. Gareth led the group with his usual cocky air, though even he seemed unsettled. Lysara, always vigilant, kept her daggers drawn, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon.
"Does anyone else feel like we're walking in circles?" Tia broke the silence, her voice trembling.
"It's the Wastes," Gareth said, not looking back. "The Void twists the landscape. You think you're moving forward, but you're really standing still. Don't trust your eyes."
"That's… comforting," Tia muttered, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders.
"Stay focused," Lysara said curtly. "The Shard is close—I can feel it."
Eryon glanced at her. "How can you be so sure?"
"The Shards resonate with each other," she replied, her tone matter-of-fact. "The closer we get, the stronger the connection. You'll feel it too if you stop fighting yourself."
"I'm not—" Eryon began, but Lysara cut him off with a glare.
"You are," she said sharply. "The Void's power is a part of you now, whether you like it or not. If you don't learn to control it, it will destroy you."
Eryon clenched his jaw, the words cutting deeper than he wanted to admit. He hated the Void's influence, hated the way it made him feel both powerful and powerless. But Lysara was right—if he didn't find a way to master it, he would be a liability to everyone around him.
Hours later, the group came to a halt. Ahead of them lay a massive chasm, its depths shrouded in swirling shadows. The ground around it was cracked and unstable, radiating an ominous energy. Across the chasm, a faint light flickered—a deep violet glow that seemed to pulse in time with Eryon's heartbeat.
"That's it," Lysara said, her voice barely above a whisper. "The Shard of Shadows."
"How do we get across?" Tia asked, peering nervously into the abyss.
"There's always a way," Gareth said, studying the chasm. "We just have to find it."
As they searched for a crossing, the whispers grew louder, taking on distinct voices. Eryon froze as one of the voices spoke directly to him.
"Eryon… come to me… you belong here…"
He shook his head, trying to dispel the voice, but it persisted, growing more insistent.
"Do you hear that?" he asked, looking at the others.
They exchanged glances but shook their heads.
"It's the Void," Lysara said. "It's trying to get inside your head. Don't let it."
Eryon nodded, though the voice continued to gnaw at the edges of his mind. He focused on the task at hand, scanning the chasm for a way across.
"There," Gareth said, pointing to a narrow bridge of jagged stone that stretched across the chasm. It was barely wide enough for one person and looked far from stable.
"That doesn't look safe," Tia said, eyeing the bridge warily.
"It's not," Gareth admitted with a grin. "But it's our only option."
"I'll go first," Lysara said, stepping onto the bridge. Her movements were swift and deliberate, her balance impeccable. She reached the other side without incident and turned to wave them forward.
Tia hesitated, but Eryon placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You can do this," he said. "I'll be right behind you."
Tia nodded, her grip on the Shard of Earth tightening as she stepped onto the bridge. The stone creaked beneath her weight, but she moved carefully, one step at a time. Eryon followed, his heart pounding with every step. The chasm below seemed to stretch endlessly, the swirling shadows threatening to pull him in.
Halfway across, the whispers intensified. The voice calling his name became deafening, and the shadows below began to writhe, reaching upward like tendrils.
"Eryon!" Tia called out, her voice breaking through the noise. He realized he had stopped moving, his gaze fixed on the chasm below.
"I'm fine," he said, though his voice was unsteady. Forcing himself to move, he reached the other side just as Gareth stepped onto the bridge.
"Don't wait for me," Gareth called out. "If the bridge collapses, I'd rather not have an audience."
Lysara rolled her eyes but said nothing. Gareth crossed the bridge with his usual confidence, though even he seemed relieved when he reached solid ground.
The group turned their attention to the glow ahead. The Shard of Shadows rested on a pedestal of blackened stone, its violet light casting strange, shifting patterns on the surrounding ground. The air around it was heavy, charged with an unnatural energy.
"That's it?" Tia asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "It looks… alive."
"In a way, it is," Lysara said. "The Shards are fragments of immense power. They're not just objects—they're entities."
Eryon stepped forward, drawn to the Shard. The closer he got, the stronger the pull became, until it felt like his very soul was being drawn toward it. He reached out, his hand trembling.
"Wait," Lysara said sharply. "The Void's corruption is strongest here. If you touch it without preparation, it could kill you—or worse."
Eryon hesitated, his hand hovering over the Shard. The whispers were deafening now, a cacophony of voices urging him to take it, to claim its power.
"What do I do?" he asked, his voice barely audible.
"Focus," Lysara said. "Control the power within you. Align it with the Shard, but don't let it overwhelm you."
Eryon closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He felt the Void's energy coursing through him, chaotic and unrelenting. Slowly, he reached out, trying to connect with the Shard's energy. It was like touching fire, the heat searing his mind, but he didn't pull back. Instead, he pushed forward, forcing the chaotic energy into submission.
The moment his hand touched the Shard, the world exploded in light. Visions flooded his mind—memories that weren't his own, a glimpse of the Void's true nature. He saw empires fall, worlds consumed, and a darkness so vast it defied comprehension.
When the light faded, Eryon was on his knees, the Shard of Shadows clutched in his hand. The voices were gone, replaced by a profound silence. He felt the Shard's power within him, a deep well of energy that both terrified and exhilarated him.
"You did it," Tia said, her voice filled with awe.
Eryon looked up, his gaze meeting Lysara's. "What now?"
"Now," she said, her expression grim, "we get out of here before the Voidspawn come for what's theirs."